


The 1st Annual Losers' Christmakkah Celebration

by ReddieOrNot (cajungirlkye)



Series: The Losers' Club Christmakkah Celebrations [1]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Christmas Fluff, Eddie Kaspbrak Lives, F/M, M/M, Post-IT Chapter Two (2019), Rated T for Trashmouth, Stanley Uris Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:15:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21937324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cajungirlkye/pseuds/ReddieOrNot
Summary: The Losers gather for their first annual Christmakkah celebration. Several announcements are made, and Richie's Christmas wish just may come true.
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Bill Denbrough/Audra Phillips, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Patricia Blum Uris/Stanley Uris
Series: The Losers' Club Christmakkah Celebrations [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1579681
Comments: 2
Kudos: 115





	The 1st Annual Losers' Christmakkah Celebration

**Author's Note:**

> Ok I'm not 100% happy with this so it may be edited later, but I wanted to get it posted today.
> 
> This is the first in a (at least) 3-part Reddie-centric series where each year the Losers take turns hosting everyone for Christmakkah.

_Bzz bzzz. Bzzz bzzz. Bzzz Bzzz. Bzzz bzzz._

Richie Tozier groaned and picked his phone up off of his nightstand, squinting at it in the harsh early morning light and smiling sleepily when he saw that new messages were flooding in in the Losers' group text thread.

**Benverly (Bev): First annual Loser's Club Non-denominational Holiday Celebration at Ben's house on December 24th!**

**Benverly (Ben): OUR house, Bev.**

**Benverly (Bev): Our house. :-***

**Benverly (Ben): I love being able to say that. <3**

**Micycle: Can't wait!**

**Billiam: Audra and I will definitely be there!**

**Staniel: Patty and I will be there.**

**Eds: I'm coming.**

Richie waited until everyone had confirmed before sending his response. **Oh, I don't know if I can be away from Eds's mom for that long.**

Eddie's reply immediately came through.

**Eds: Dude, you realize the joke no longer works since my mom's been dead for 12 years, right?**

**Eds: Also, fuck you.**

Richie grinned. **Love you too, Eds.**

 **Staniel: Richie, you had better be there or else I'm personally coming get you and dragging your ass to Ben & Beverly's**.

Richie shook his head. **I'm kidding, guys, I'll be at Christmakkah. Honestly, I wouldn't miss it for anything.**

**Eds: Good, it wouldn't be a Losers' Holiday Celebration without the biggest loser of us all.**

Richie snorted with laughter. **Ouch, Eds, you wound me. 💀**

**Eds: Truth hurts, asshole. And that's still not my name.**

**Billiam: Christmakkah? Really?**

**Staniel: Actually, I kind of like it.**

**Benverly (Ben): Ok, 1st annual Losers' Christmakkah Celebration at my & Bev's house then. :)**

Everyone had mutually agreed that gifts weren't necessary, that everyone having made it out of Neibolt alive and It being well and truly dead was gift enough.

Richie was never one to follow the rules, however, so that's how he found himself in front of Ben & Beverly's house loaded down with gift bags 3 weeks later. He rang the doorbell. 

A few seconds later the door swung open to reveal Eddie.

Richie blinked. "Hey, Eds."

A smile spread over Eddie's face. "Richie, hey. Come on in, everyone's in the dining room."

Richie stepped inside and Eddie reached for some of the gift bags. "Here, let me help you with that stuff."

Richie and Eddie deposited Richie's gifts in the living room. Once Richie had taken his jacket and gloves off and was settled, Eddie pulled him into a hug. "I'm really glad to see you, man."

"Same here, Eds. I've missed you-- I mean I've missed all of you. Even though it's only been a few months. Anyway, let's go in the dining room so I can see everyone else."

Once they reached the dining room, Richie announced his presence in his usual loud, playful fashion. "Happy Christmakkah, Losers!" he shouted.

"Richie!" came the chorus of replies. 

Bev rubbed her hands together. "Good, now that you're here, let's eat!"

* * *

After dinner, everyone gathered in Ben & Bev's gigantic living room to sit by the fire and socialize. Stan, Patty, Ben, & Bev sat on one sofa, Audra, Bill & Mike were on the other, and Richie and Eddie each sat in the 2 armchairs by the fireplace.

"While we're all here, Patty and I have a gift for everyone," Stan announced. "I know we said that we weren't going to get everyone gifts, but…" he shrugged. "You'll just have to deal with it."

He began handing out bags to everyone. "Don't open them yet." 

Richie fiddled with the tissue paper sticking out of his bag as he waited for Stan to sit back down. "Ok, go ahead," Stan said.

Richie pulled the tissue paper out and pulled out a white onesie that read "I love my uncle." He looked around everyone else, who all held the same gift, with Bev's reading "I love my aunt" instead. 

Stan placed a hand over Patty's stomach. "We're expecting!" he said excitedly.

Richie jumped up and gave Stan a hug. "Staniel, you old dog, congratulations!" He then turned to Patty, giving her a much gentler hug. "You guys are going to be fucking phenomenal parents, I just know it."

After everyone had congratulated Stan and Patty, Ben cleared his throat, looking at Bev in silent conversation. Bev tilted her head in affirmation.

Ben got up and grabbed some gift bags from behind the couch. "Here you go, everyone," Ben said sheepishly, handing them out.

Each bag contained a dual photo frame, one side holding a picture of the Losers' at 13 and the other holding a more recent group photo that had been taken at the Jade of the Orient before they had all remembered It, and an envelope. 

Richie tore his card open. Inside was an engagement announcement.

Bev linked her fingers through Ben's. "We're getting married," she said happily. "We decided to do it while you're all still here for the holidays since we want the most important people in our lives to be there."

Another round of congratulations echoed around the room.

Bill spoke up next. "I brought gifts too. No announcement though, at least not unless you count a new book deal."

Everyone congratulated Bill as he handed his gifts out, Richie good-naturedly teasing him about hoping Bill had finally learned how to write an ending.

"Ok, so I'm assuming no one listened and brought everyone a gift anyway?" Mike said, then nodded when Richie and Eddie both murmured an assent. "In that case I'm going next." 

He handed everyone their gift, then settled back down. "I do have a small announcement -- I've decided to settle down in Key West. I just closed on a house last week."

"Next Christmakkah at Mike's," Richie said jokingly, unwrapping his gift. 

Mike had gifted each Loser with something he had picked up during his travels, Richie's being a hand-carved wooden turtle.

He glanced at Mike.

"I saw that at a little roadside stand in Arizona and thought of you for some reason," Mike explained with a shrug. 

"I like it," Richie replied with a nod. "Thanks, man."

He hadn't told anyone what he had seen in the deadlights, but he had distinctly remembered seeing a giant turtle right before he fell. 

"What about you, Eddie?" Bev asked. "Any announcements?"

Richie studied Eddie's profile. He looked… calmer than the last time Richie had seen him. Then again, the last time Richie had seen him they had just defeated IT a few days prior, so naturally they were all still a little frazzled.

"Actually, yes," Eddie replied. "I filed for divorce once I got back to New York. Also, I quit my job. I figure at this point in my life it's too late to become a doctor, but I've decided to go to nursing school to become a nurse practitioner."

Richie's heart sped up. _Eddie's single_.

He mentally chastised himself. _He's still your best friend, not to mention straight. Don't fuck it up._ He blinked as Eddie dropped a gift bag in his lap.

Eddie had obviously taken great care in selecting each person's gifts, giving Bill a nice fountain pen and notebook set, Mike a hardcover coffee table-type book, Ben a vinyl re-release of New Kids on the Block's _Hanging Tough_ album, Bev a silk scarf that she had offhandedly mentioned wanting during a Losers' Skype session a few months prior, Stan a book on exotic birds of Moldavia or something (Richie wasn't quite sure) and Patty a broach with a hummingbird on it.

Richie carefully opened his gift, pulling out a leather jacket very similar to the one he had lost in the sewers. He softly stroked it.

Eddie had been watching him. "Thought you could use a replacement," he said.

"Thanks, Eds." 

Richie realized belatedly that it was his turn. His mouth went dry. He almost blurted out that he didn't have anything for anyone and that he had absolutely nothing to say, but Eddie had helped him haul his gifts in so he knew that wouldn't work.

He stood and hurriedly passed out everyone's gift bags. "Uh, my gift is also an announcement and this was the best way I could figure out how to do it, so…" He made a 'go on' motion with his hands. "Ok, go ahead."

Each Loser (with Stan and Patty receiving one bag) pulled out a CD single of "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross.

Richie studied each Loser's expression as they looked at their gift. Ben, Bill, and Mike all looked confused, Bev had a slow smile spreading on her face, Stan was shaking his head while trying to hold back laughter, ( _the fucker, he probably knew back when we were kids_ \--) and Eddie… well for once in his life Richie couldn't read Eddie's expression. He took a deep breath. "So yeah, um, surprise! I'm gay." He did a little 'tah-dah' motion with his hands as an emphasis. "I'm gonna come out publicly soon but it was important to me to tell you guys first."

Stan was the first one to move, standing and wrapping Richie in a hug. "I'm proud of you, Rich," he said.

"Yeah, yeah, I mean somebody's gotta be the cool gay uncle to the next generation of Losers," Richie joked, holding back tears as the rest of the Losers embraced him. 

He sniffled. "Ok, as much as I'm enjoying this mostly beefcake-filled love fest, I, uh, I need some air. I'll be back in a few."

Richie quickly detached himself from everyone and headed out to Ben and Beverly's porch.

He had figured everyone would be supportive of him, but it had still been overwhelming. He took a few deep breaths in order to collect himself then froze as he heard a voice behind him. 

"Hey Rich, you ok?" _Eddie_. 

Richie sniffled and cleared his throat. "Yeah, man, I'm fine. Just needed a minute."

Eddie walked up next to him. "I uh, I have to tell you something else," he said quietly. "It's why I divorced Myra." He shook his head. "I mean, _obviously_ I wasn't happy, but there was more to it than just that."

Richie fought the urge to make a joke about Eddie realizing his Oedipus complex. _Now's not the time, Tozier._ "Hey, man, your life is your business, if you don't want to talk about it that's up to you--"

"I'm in love with you," Eddie blurted.

Richie blinked. "You're in _what_ with _who_ now?"

Eddie sighed and looked skyward as if praying for strength.

Richie couldn't believe his ears. "Ed. Eds. Eddie. I swear to Christ if you're just fucking with me--"

"Jesus, Richie, do you honestly think I would ever do that--" Eddie spluttered.

"--Because I honestly couldn't take it if you were."

Eddie shook his head. "Look, Rich… All these years, it wasn't just my childhood memories that were missing, it felt like… like part of my soul was gone too. I'd been attracted to a few guys in college -- all tall, dark-haired, lanky motherfuckers, but I always felt like I was comparing them to some unknown person so they never worked out. Then I met Myra and she was just so… safe that I buried that part of myself and wound up marrying her, even though I knew I was making a mistake." 

Eddie smiled. "Then about a year ago I caught one of your specials on TV and felt a peace I hadn't had in years. So I watched all of the shows that I could get my hands on, then I found a bunch of clips of you on YouTube and watched those too. There was something so… familiar about you, even though in the back of my mind I knew something was off - which as it turns out, was that your jokes weren't really yours." He huffed out a laugh. 

Richie winced. "I'm working on that."

"Good. You're much funnier than you give yourself credit for."

"You think I'm funny?"

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, don't let it go to your head."

Richie was still processing. _What the actual fuck._ "So wait, so you're… into dudes?"

Eddie smirked. "Well, I'm certainly not actually into women."

"And you're into me in particular."

"Yes."

Richie still didn't quite get it. " _Why?_ "

Judging by Eddie's reaction Richie realized he hadn't just thought it, but had said it out loud. 

"Because, Rich, you're you. You never made fun of me because of my hypochondria, you always protected me when Bowers would give us shit, and no matter how bad things got at home I always knew I could go to you and you wouldn't ask any questions and would let me stay as long as I needed. You're my best friend and I always loved the way you made me feel when I was around you. At first I thought it was perfectly normal to feel for your friends like I felt about you, but as we got older and I started to analyze it I realized that I didn't feel about any of the others in quite the same way. You were always joking around and acting like you didn't give a shit about what anyone said, and I wanted to be like that… You made me want to be brave."

Richie's heart cracked. "Eds. I've told you before. You are brave. You're one of the bravest people I know."

Eddie shook his head. "I wasn't though. For the longest time I was terrified to admit it to myself, but after everything that happened this year I knew I was finally brave enough to tell you. I love you, Rich. I've loved you since we were 12 years old, and when I turned and saw you at the Jade the final pieces of the puzzle sort of slotted back into place. I knew I couldn't go back to New York and keep living life the way I had been, but I also felt like I couldn't tell you how I felt about you while I was still married. It wasn't fair to you or to Myra. So when I got home I told Myra as much as I could, and we mutually agreed to separate. The divorce was finalized last week."

"Fuck, Eddie…" Richie couldn't believe it. _Eddie loves me. Eddie LOVES me. Holy fucking shit, EDDIE loves ME._

Eddie was still talking. "And I mean it's fine, I know just because you're gay doesn't mean you're into me, and if you didn't feel the same back then or even now it's okay because-- mmph."

Before Richie could even process what he was doing he had pulled Eddie to him and had slotted his lips over Eddie's. 

Eddie's lips were just as soft as Richie had always imagined. _I see he's still using Chapstick religiously,_ he thought, moaning as Eddie nipped his bottom lip then soothed the bite with his tongue while his hands reached up to tangle themselves into Richie's unruly hair.

He briefly detatched himself from Eddie's lips. "I love you too, Eds," he breathed. "I loved you before I even knew what love was and I've loved you every day since. You're it for me."

Eddie let out a growl and pulled him back in, immediately deepening the kiss.

 _Oh Jesus Christ yes, PLEASE._ Richie would've happily stayed right there on Ben and Bev's porch making out with Eddie all night, but unfortunately he was outside in 30-degree weather without a coat. He shivered.

Eddie pulled back. "Christ, Richie, you're freezing. Come on, let's go inside with the others."

Richie held him back. "Wait, wait, Eds. How exactly is this going to work? We live on opposite sides of the country."

Eddie bit his lip. "I um, actually I didn't exactly say where I was going to school either." He glanced up at Richie. "I enrolled at UCLA."

A smile bloomed on Richie's face. "Really? You're moving to L.A.?"

"Yeah, I mean UCLA has a great nursing program and I needed a change of scenery anyway, so I figured the west coast would be a good choice..." 

Richie thought about his cold, empty house in Beverly Hills. _Here goes nothing_. "So, do you like, have a house or apartment or anything yet?"

Eddie shook his head. "No, not yet. I'm looking into apartments near campus but I haven't found anything yet."

"Because you know you can totally come stay with me while you look for a place, or… even better, just move in with me permanently." Richie bit his lip. "Because like I said, you're it for me, Eds. You've always been it for me. You'll always _be_ it for me."

Eddie was silent for a few moments, appearing to be weighing his options. Finally he said, "Okay."

Richie's heart leapt. "Okay?"

Eddie grinned. "Yeah. Okay. Because you're it for me too, you know."

"Well in that case…" Richie grabbed Eddie's hand, dragging him inside. "HEY, EVERYONE! WE HAVE ANOTHER ANNOUNCEMENT!"


End file.
